In 1929, three brides are married to three brothers in a single ceremony in rural Punjab. As Mehar tries to discover which of the three brothers is her husband, a misunderstanding causes lasting consequences. Years later, Mehar's great-grandson returns to India hoping to recover from his drug addiction.

As the two main characters struggle to find freedom in two different time periods, Sahota's novel (based somewhat on his family's history) uses sparse descriptions and limited glances, letting the reader fill in the gaps. This literary style is gorgeous in its own way but is not the lush detailed writing typical to historical fiction. Often the fragmentation as the perspective changed confused me, and I wish transitions had been smoother.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Penguin Random House. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.